Speaker Salon Showcase with Maekyla Massey

May 19, 2023

13:43

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This episode features one of the amazing talks given by a participant in my Speaker Salon Showcase.

Each year, I curate the Speaker Salon live in New York City to give speakers a safe place to work on their craft. These leaders have become the go-to experts in their industries and are making a huge impact in the world.

Today, I'm giving you a peek behind the scenes to witness one of the big talks presented at the showcase in front of influencers and decision makers.

This talk, "My Struggle With Academic Validation," was given by Maekyla Massey.

Maekyla is a high school student from Long Island who is dedicated to public service and the improvement of her community. She is the co-chair of the WNET/PBS Group's Youth Collective, a THIRTEEN initiative to amplify the voices of Gen-Z in the building of an ethical world. Maekyla devotes her time to helping youth participate in their communities. She has received the Youth Leadership Recognition award, and her accomplishments have been recognized by the New York State Senate.

In this talk, she explores:

Her drug of choice — academic validation — and the highs she experienced from it
Why the brightest students often have the darkest lives
What happened when she finally realized that she wasn't just a number
How more young people can discover their purpose beyond academic success